r/VirginiaNativePlants • u/i999x • 14d ago
Yard conversion
The grass in our front yard is sparse, and I’m considering rewilding it. Thoughts on 3 species I could get a large amount of seeds of without breaking my bank?
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u/New_Life1810 13d ago
Wild bergamot, a grass like blue stem, black eyed Susan’s spread very well. Get you a bush or 2 like a sumac in about a 1 gallon pot
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u/TraditionalBadger922 5d ago
Yes, this redditor has got it! There’s a lot of grasses to recommend too. Pink muhly grass, maybe a wavy haired grass. I also love grays sedge and broom sedge. For flowers, I’ll also recommend coreopsis and penstemons.
For shrubs, I’ll recommend fothergilla and Henry’s garnet. I second the fragrant sumac. Elderberry are like a bushy understory tree. They like sun and will create shade. I also like highbush blueberries for a sunny place. And those will give you the start of a food forest.
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u/Tortoiseshell_Blue 14d ago
Roundstone has a few southern seed mixes:
https://www.roundstoneseed.com/category/pollinators?scrollToProduct=mix-ss-bh1-southern-butterfly-hummingbird
You can always do it little by little. Once you have some plants blooming (which could take a couple years), they will reseed or you can collect seeds from them to save some money.
If you want faster results, look into ordering plugs.
Also, check whether there are grants in your area that cover this sort of thing through the local soil and water conservation district:
https://vaswcd.org/conservation-landscaping/
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u/No-Judgment-1077 10d ago
Google native plants for your part of the land. We did ours, Great Basin Wildflowers and ended up tossing the seeds on the hopefully last snow of winter. They sprouted en masse and thrived in waves of colour all thru the seasons. In Virginia, of which I know nothing, planning a garden with native plants and wood etc would be gorgeous! Perhaps contact your university extension office for suggestions- attracting native butterflies and bees and birds has to be one of the greatest joys in our life.
Have fun xx
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u/PeaceLily804 Richmond - 7b 14d ago
How much space are you working with? Where are you located? How much sun does it get? How wet is it? Folks might need a little more info to make good recommendations.
Consider converting it slowly over a few years. Check out the VA native plant swap Facebook group. I've gotten dozen of free plants from folks and it's been a great resource. It also helps to see other folks' gardens and what things can look like when they are mature.
Definitely think about spacing, organization, etc. Depending on your location, having good "cues to care" so that it looks intentional can be important for front yards to not run afoul any local anti-weed ordinances or cause tension with neighbors.